How many times have you made a beautiful cake and after just a few seconds, you watched it instantly deflate? Well, that’s because baking is also a matter of chemistry. And sometimes, it only takes the tiniest mistake to mess up an entire recipe!
To make a cake that’s really soft, light and fluffy, you have to follow precise rules.
That’s why we asked our very own pastry chef in Milan at La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana – Emanuele Frigerio – for some tips. Apply these tricks to any cake for the softest, fluffiest version of the recipe you’ve ever made!
How to make a soft and fluffy cake
1. Rule number one: the temperature of the ingredients. Eggs and butter must not be used cold, straight out of the fridge. Both ingredients must first reach room temperature. If you forget to take them out in time, heat the eggs by soaking them in warm water for a few seconds and soften the butter slightly in the microwave or in a bain-marie.
2. It is essential to whip the eggs very well – for at least 10 minutes. For the best result, heat them slightly in a bain-marie, bringing them to a maximum temperature of 120°F (50°C).
3. You can use a small amount of starch instead of flour – but not more than a third of the total weight of the flour!
4. Always remember to sift all the dry ingredients (like flour, cocoa and powdered sugar, for example) to ensure proper distribution of the mixture.
5. When it’s time to add the eggs and flour, be very careful not to ruin the mixture when you incorporate the flour. Add it just a little at a time, so that the mixture doesn’t deflate from the air that is being incorporated.
6. Add some yeast or a pinch of baking soda to help the cake rise.
7. Baking the cake is another very important aspect to take into account for the best result: the oven must be set at a lower temperature. What should you absolutely not do? Never, ever open the oven! This keeps the heat from changing temperatures at any point in the baking process – even at the very end. Let it cool naturally!
The best filling for a soft and fluffy cake recipe?
The softest cakes are also the most difficult to add filling too because they tend to be dense and compact when sliced. For this reason, desserts like chiffon cake or torta paradiso are perfect to eat on their own without any filling. Instead of filling them, our pastry chef recommends accompanying them with ice cream, rum custard or a raspberry melba sauce, perhaps.
